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Israeli forces reportedly struck the top military official of the Lebanese Iran-backed faction the Hezbollah organization in a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, as stated by the office of the Israeli PM on Sunday.

This represented the initial strike in several months on the southern suburbs of the capital city, an region known for housing officials from the group.

Target Named as Military Leader

The target of the operation was the army leader the Hezbollah chief of staff, according to an source from Israel briefed on the incident and a Lebanese security source. The PM's office did not state whether the official was killed.

US Notification Particulars

A senior US official stated that Israeli authorities failed to inform Washington in advance about the airstrike, according to a digital update.

The authority added that the US government was alerted right after the incident, and a another American official said that the United States had known for days that Israeli forces was preparing to increase operations in the country.

Background on the Target

The United States imposed penalties on Tabtabai in recent years, identifying him as a key Hezbollah military leader and announcing a bounty of up to $5m for information on him.

Strike Particulars and Aftermath

The blast hit a central avenue in the capital's southern suburbs, where locals mentioned hearing the noise of aircraft before the explosion.

Residents rushed out of their apartment buildings out of concern of additional attacks, per a journalist in the area.

No fewer than two people were fatally wounded and approximately 24 were wounded and rushed to clinics in the region, according to health officials.

There was no prompt response from the organization.

Ongoing Israeli Campaign

Attacks by Israel on the Lebanese faction over the recent period have taken the lives of its former leader Hassan Nasrallah, a large portion of the group's top military brass and about 5,000 fighters.

Comments from Israeli Leadership

The Israeli leader addressed his cabinet on the morning of the incident before the attack that the country would carry on to combat “terrorism” on multiple fronts.

“We shall carry on to do everything needed to stop the group from re-establishing its capacity to threaten us,” he said.

Broader Situation

Israeli forces has escalated airstrikes in the southern region, continuing a operation of frequent strikes that it claims is intended to hinder a rebuilding of capabilities by Hezbollah in the border area.

Israeli authorities has charged Hezbollah of attempting to rearm since a truce supported by the US the previous year.

The group claims it has abided by conditions for it to terminate its military presence in the border region near the Israeli border, and for the military forces to deploy there.